The present invention relates generally to exit devices, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for securing a door with the exit device.
A variety of exit devices are commonly used with conventional doors. Typically, doors include an inactive stile and an active stile. Generally, the inactive stile is connected to a doorframe with hinges so that the door can move between open and closed positions. In certain applications, the active stile houses vertically concealed rods and latches, which extend into and retract out of the doorframe to lock and unlock the door. A midrail generally extends between the active and inactive stiles. Exit devices are commonly installed in a recess in the midrail and therefore have a relatively low profile, which provides a more aesthetically pleasing door. This is particularly desirable in applications in which the exit devices are installed on the front or in the entryway of public buildings. The relatively low profile of the exit devices also reduces the presence of the exit device in the door opening, maximizing the opening available for travel through the doorframe which is particularly desirable in cases such as handicap access. Additionally, the relatively low profile of the exit devices reduces the exposure of the exit device to contact and thus potential for damage.
A large number and variety of people, including the handicapped, children, and the elderly operate conventional exit devices. Additionally, exit devices are commonly designed to be easy to operate to provide rapid building egress during emergencies, such as, for example, during a fire or a natural disaster. For these and other reasons, many conventional exit devices include a pushbar, which is located between two end caps. To open and/or unlock the door, a person simply depresses the pushbar.
Typically, exit devices and doors are purchased separately and the exit device is installed in the door immediately before or even after the door has been installed in the doorframe. Generally, the exit device is installed in the midrail adjacent to the active stile and a filler is used to enclose the remaining portion of the midrail that is generally adjacent to the inactive stile. Accordingly, if the filler or the recess in the midrail is incorrectly sized, the exit device may not fit properly in the midrail and may not operate correctly because of interference between moving parts in the exit device. Conventional exit devices have attempted to minimize the potential for interference by minimizing the travel distance of the moving parts in the exit device and the midrail or filler. In particular, conventional exit devices are often designed to minimize the projection of the internal latching mechanism in the dogged or extended position, which in turn reduces the mechanical advantage that can be achieved by depressing the pushbar.
Exit devices are generally installed on the left or right-hand sides of doors depending upon the swing of the door and the entryway. It is therefore desirable for exit devices to be able to be usable in either a right-hand or a left-hand application. In addition to the above mentioned design considerations, exit devices that are easy to manufacture, easy to assemble, durable, and inexpensive are highly desirable for obvious reasons.
According to the present invention, an exit device for a door having a midrail extending between a first stile, a second stile, and defining a cutout comprises a latching mechanism positioned in the cutout and a pushbar enclosing the latching mechanism. The pushbar has a front surface and is positioned in the cutout. The pushbar has a depressed position and an extended position. The front surface defines a plurality of apertures, which communicate with the latching mechanism. The exit device further comprises a lid, which slideably engages the front surface, substantially covering the plurality of apertures.
In some embodiments, the exit device includes a plurality of sides extending from the front surface into the cutout. The sides and the front surface define a first end and a second end. End caps are removeably coupled to the first and second ends for movement with the pushbar between the extended position and the depressed position. The exit device includes a base plate. A cover is coupled to the base plate and has an outer surface, which is sloped upwardly from the midrail toward the end cap. A portion of the cover is substantially flush with the front surface when the pushbar is in the depressed position.
The latching mechanism includes a control rod, which is substantially parallel to the front surface and a bell crank coupled to the control rod and the pushbar. The latching mechanism has a left-hand orientation and a right-hand orientation and includes a base and a lift arm coupled to the base in a first position when the latching mechanism is in the left-hand orientation and in a second position when the latching mechanism is in the right-hand orientation. The exit device includes an actuator for moving the latching mechanism between a locked position and an unlocked position. Alternatively or in addition, the exit device can include a base and a dogging mechanism having a hook, which is coupled to the base for rotation between a latched position and an unlatched position.
A securing mechanism for securing the exit device in the midrail includes a shaft having a first end and a second end and defining a longitudinal axis. A bracket is coupled to the exit device and defines a first aperture and a second aperture. The first end of the shaft extends through the first aperture and the second end of the shaft extends through the second aperture. A first anchor is slideably coupled to the shaft and is moveable along the longitudinal axis between a first locked position and a first unlocked position. The first anchor frictionally engages the door in the first locked position. A second anchor is slideably coupled to the shaft and is moveable along the longitudinal axis between a second locked position and a second unlocked position. The second anchor frictionally engages the door in the second locked position.
The present invention also includes a method of securing the exit device in a door. The method comprises inserting the exit device into the cutout, accessing the securing mechanism through the plurality of apertures, rotating the shaft in a first direction about the longitudinal axis, moving the first anchor along the shaft toward the first end, moving the second anchor along the shaft toward the second end, and applying a compressive force to the midrail with the first and second anchors to hold the exit device and the securing mechanism in the door. In some applications, the pushbar includes a cover which slideably engages the front surface and the method further comprises removing the lid from the front surface.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description, claims, and drawings.